Waveguides are devices that due to their composition, shape, and other design characteristics exhibit the ability of being able to conduct light via internal reflection. This quality has been extensively utilized in a wide spectrum of applications, ranging from illumination systems to telecommunications networks. Light transmitting applications relating to illumination systems have particular concerns, among them is the manner in which light is collected by the waveguide for subsequent distribution. The light collector of the present invention addresses this and other concerns.
Illumination systems and other light conducting devices have utilized a variety of different configurations for the purpose of collecting and distributing light; one example being shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,592 issued to Neilson. The Neilson patent discloses an optical energy gathering device in the form of a sheet of transparent material with a plurality of light collector disks attached to the sheet that collect and route light through the sheet. The light collectors are disks, each having angled outer edges that internally reflect light impinging upon the disk at its outer edges. The disks can have an outer edge angle that is uniform around the perimeter of the disks, or can include different input edge angles on opposing sides of the disk to accommodate the collection of light that impinges upon the disk at an angle relative to the normal to the disk surface.
Optical devices with angled input surfaces have also been previously used in illumination systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,034 issued to Bansbach et al. discloses a glare prevention device in the form of a series of stacked, annular rings, each having an angled input surface. A light source located at the center of the device radiates light into the stacked rings with the angled input surfaces operating to direct the light upwardly and downwardly, thereby preventing lateral glare from the device. Each of the rings directly receives a portion of the light emitted by the source and is used primarily to refract the light to prevent glare, although a limited amount of internal reflection may occur in each ring.
Neither of the above-noted patents address all of the various considerations involved in a distributed illumination system of the type that uses waveguides to collect and route light to remote locations, especially those involving spatial constraints such as is often present in automotive illumination systems. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a light collector, wherein light from a single source was collected and distributed via separate waveguides to remote areas of an illumination system that is employed in an application having limited space.